An experimental ELINT (electronic intelligence)
microsatellite built for the French arms procurement agency DGA (Delegation
Generale pour l'Armement). It is notable for having suffered the first accidental
collision between two independent orbiting objects. On July 21, 1995, a
piece of debris from the Ariane 1 third stage that launched SPOT 1 in 1986
collided with CERISE. During the impact, the upper portion of CERISE's gravity-gradient
boom was broken off. It was subsequently catalogued as space object 1995-033E.
See also France in space.